This sheet is designed to introduce fairly basic computer vocabulary and discuss it in simple terms. It is really aimed at people who already have some experience of using a computer but not of talking about it in English. It may be especially useful where words in the students language for these things are similar but not quite the same as the English words (e.g. "dialog" instead of "dialog box").

Give out the work-sheet, read through the list of words to give an idea of pronunciation and then instruct students to match the words with the examples on the right and write the corresponding numbers in the right-most column. When everybody has completed this and the whole class have the same answers, ask them to place one of the phrases into each space in the sentences below. Probable correct answers are as follows:

1. application
2. operating system
3. virus
4. dialog box
5. back-up copy
6. screen saver
7. version
8. menu

Once they have completed this and everybody has the same answers, instruct them individually to decide whether they agree or disagree with the sentences. If there appears to be a few sentences that might provoke discussion, divide the class into groups / pairs (preferably containing people who don't agree) and tell them to compare and debate their answers for a few minutes.

You have a choice of two different methods of getting this handout to your printer. It all depends on whether your computer has "Adobe Acrobat Reader" installed. If it has, then this would be the recommended method for printing out the worksheet. Try selecting the "PDF (Adobe Acrobat)" link below. If all goes well, a new application window should appear including a print button, which when selected will print out one copy.

If, on the other hand you do not have "Adobe Acrobat" select the "HTML (web page)" link below. (Also, this method is recommended for users of Netscape Navigator, which seems to have trouble interacting with the Acrobat program like this.) If all goes well, a new browser window will open, from which you can either click the "print button" on the toolbar or open the "File" menu, select "Print" and then adjust the "Print Dialog Box" to your own preferences.

The final link below is to enable you to print this "instruction page" if you want to. Click on the link, and when the page appears on a new screen you will be able to print it using the browser's "print button" or "file menu". After printing, close the window again so that you can continue to navigate around the site.

For teacher training courses, English courses in Bristol UK and free interactive exercises, visit The Language Project Website.